Morning leopard!

It was the last safari of my set of 4... we were driving by the back waters when we started to hear alarm calls. We moved towards them, coming to a cross road. This is where tracking skills come into play, and despite more noise coming from one road, we went down the perpendicular one. Not 5 minutes later, this leopard crossed right in front of us. Love it!

comments (11)

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Looks like a male :)

Great spotting, I really find them to be the most beautiful big cat! Posted 10 years ago
1. JohnR
  
  Lion
  
  It is a male indeed.... but how did you tell? ;)
  
  I love seeing them, I think they have a slight edge for me over tigers, but i can't explain why! Posted 10 years ago
2. 1. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    On Africa safaris we learned that 5-legged animals are males :) Posted 10 years ago
3. travismorhardt
  
  Lion
  
  I am more drawn to lynx or cougars, but I am biased as that is what we have for wild cats around here. I know that these photos of leopards and lions and tigers that are being posted are mostly wild and are observed in parks and wildlife protection areas, but I have only ever observed them in zoos and in cages. So I have this tendency to associate those big cats with captivity in mind, not wild :/ Posted 10 years ago
4. 1. JohnR
    
    Lion
    
    Hmmmm.... Trust me, that association evaporates when you actually see them in the wild. I'm after lynxes too.... THe Iberian Lynx in particular. But that is an expedition for my return to Europe! :) Posted 10 years ago
  2. 1. travismorhardt
      
      Lion
      
      Oh I am sure it does. I saw two different sets of bobcat tracks in the snow while out today. That is about as close as I have been to a wild cat, other than finding a food cache once... Posted 10 years ago
  3. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    To each their own, of course :) What strikes me as most beautiful on the leopard is its pattern. Combined with the right light, it keeps blowing my mind. By comparison, a lion or cheetah skin is more dull.
    
    That said, I love all cats, also our small one at home, and they really all are so similar in behavior. Posted 10 years ago
  4. 1. travismorhardt
      
      Lion
      
      I agree with the leopard as being the most beautiful wild old world cat. Their pattern is unparalleled! What I find the most intriguing about the cats in my neck of the woods is that they go through extreme measures to avoid people. I wouldn't doubt for a second that I have been watched on more than one occasion by a cat while out hiking, which is often 2-3 times a week, but I have never seen one in the wild... Posted 10 years ago
    2. 1. JohnR
        
        Lion
        
        I have time when not seeing them but knowing they are close is more exciting than seeing them... I hope you got down on your belly and shot the tracks disappearing off into a snowy landscape! :) that would be an awesome shot "on the trail"!
        
        I have been hunting for good pug marks in mud for this shot, but there are a few obstacles in my way. The main being where ever there are tigers, you are generally not allowed to go, let alone get out of the car! :) Posted 10 years ago
      2. Ferdy Christant
        
        Lion
        
        I definitely agree with that. I've seen several shows documenting the puma in the US/Canada and their life is definitely a lot more harsh than the typical African or Asian cat. Posted 10 years ago
      3. JohnR
        
        Lion
        
        This is true... leopards are frequent sightings in India... tigers are spotted on a daily basis (in the whole of India). There are many other cat species that are rarer, shyer and nearly never seen. If you get a good pick of those, you are extremely lucky... I am in India for another 18months, then back the EU... I am already planning trips to try and photography the Iberian Lynx in Spain. If i got a sighting, let a lone a shot of one, it would be a more significant image than a leopard. The game is a foot! :) Posted 10 years ago

The Indian leopard

The Indian leopard is a leopard subspecies widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent and classified as "Near Threatened" by IUCN since 2008. The species "Panthera pardus" may soon qualify for the "Vulnerable" status due to habitat loss and fragmentation, heavy poaching for the illegal trade of skins and body parts in Asia, and persecution due to conflict situations.

Info 41 0

Similar species: Carnivorans

Species identified by JohnR